Jakarta –
The first patient to receive a genetically engineered pig kidney transplant has died. About two months after the operation, Rick Slayman died.
So far, the cause of death is still unknown. However, the experts who treated Rick believe that this is not related to the pig kidney transplant process. Previously, they had predicted that the chance of survival for pig kidney transplant patients could reach two years.
“We are deeply saddened by the sudden death of Rick Slayman. We do not know that it was a result of his recent transplant,” the Boston hospital said in a statement released Saturday night (11/5/ 2024).
In a world first, surgeons at Massachusetts General Hospital in March successfully implanted a genetically edited pig kidney into Slayman. This process was done when Rick was 62 years old and suffering from end stage kidney disease.
“Slayman will forever be seen as a beacon of hope for many transplant patients around the world, and we are grateful for his courage and willingness to advance the field of xenotransplantation,” the hospital’s statement said.
Long before the pig kidney transplant, Rick received a human donor kidney but it didn’t start ‘working’ normally five years later.
The shortage of organ donors is an ongoing problem around the world and Mass General said in March that more than 1,400 patients were waiting for a kidney transplant. The pig kidneys used for the transplants were donated by a Massachusetts biotech company called eGenesis and were modified to remove harmful pig genes and add specific human genes, according to the hospital.
When the hospital announced the success of the transplant in March, Slayman said he agreed to the procedure, not only as a way to help his life, but also as a way to give hope. for the thousands of people who need a transplant to survive. .
In a statement posted on the Mass General website, his family said that while they are deeply saddened by Rick’s sudden death, they are grateful that Rick inspired so many people.
The family said they were comforted by the hope of the patient who was eagerly awaiting a transplant. More than 89,000 patients were on the national kidney waiting list in March, according to the US health department’s website.
On average, 17 people die every day while waiting for an organ transplant. Slayman’s family also thanked the doctors who did everything they could to give Rick a second chance.
“Their great efforts in managing the xenotransplantation gave our family another seven weeks with Rick, and the memories we made during that time will remain in our minds and hearts,” the family said.
After the transplant, Rick said that one of the reasons he went through the procedure was to give hope to the thousands of people who needed a transplant to survive.
“His legacy will inspire patients, researchers and health professionals.”
Watch video”Boston Medical Team Successfully Transplants Pig Kidneys Into Humans“
(naf/kna)
2024-05-12 23:20:03
#person #die #pig #hook #transplant
